JP2011018572A - Male terminal fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a use volume of gold at gold plating.SOLUTION: A given length area positioned away from a tip of a tab part 11 is to be a contact area L with a female terminal fitting F, and a first gold-plated layer 13 is formed on the surface of the contact area L, while a second gold-plated layer 14 thinner than the first gold-plated layer 13 is to be formed at an area in front of the contact area L in the tab part 11. Thus, as the first gold-plated layer 13 with a given film thickness is formed at a part where electric conduction with the female terminal fitting F is necessary, durability unchanged from the prior art is maintained, and, as film thicknesses of gold-plated layers of other sites are lowered, a use volume of gold can be reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a male terminal fitting.

  For example, when the terminal fitting is used in a circuit that requires high reliability for contact between terminals such as an automobile airbag circuit, the surface of the contact area with the counterpart terminal fitting is plated with gold. Sometimes. As an example of such a technique, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known.

JP 2002-231356 A

  Various gold plating methods are known, such as a method of plating by immersing a portion to be plated in a plating solution, and a method of performing plating by spraying a plating solution onto the portion to be plated. For example, the gold plating has been applied to the tab portion of the male terminal fitting by any method.

  However, the length region where the gold plating is applied in the tab portion extends over a predetermined length range from the tip of the tab portion to the rear, and the thickness of the plating layer is durability such as sliding wear resistance and heat resistance. It was only managed to ensure the minimum required dimensions in consideration of the above factors. Originally, the gold plating layer was formed with a thickness more than necessary even in areas that were not directly involved in contact with the female terminal fittings. . Furthermore, at the tip of the tab (which is tapered to guide the connection with the female terminal fitting), the so-called “edge effect”, on the contrary, causes the gold plating layer to become thick locally. This occurred (see the graph indicated by the broken line in FIG. 3).

  For this reason, if the tab portion is focused on the front side region rather than the region involved in contact with the female terminal fitting (contact region), and the thickness of the gold plating layer in this portion is reduced, a good electrical conduction state It is possible to reduce the amount of gold plating while maintaining the value.

  The present invention has been devised based on the above-described idea, and an object thereof is to provide a male terminal fitting that effectively uses gold plating.

  As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that a tab portion is formed on one end side, and a predetermined length region located away from the tip of the tab portion is a contact region with the female terminal fitting. A first gold-plated layer is formed on the surface of the contact area, and a region of the tab portion in front of the contact area is thinner than the gold-plated layer of the contact area. The second gold plating layer is formed or the base is exposed without forming the second gold plating layer.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the tab portion is formed in a substantially rectangular cross section, and the contact region is sandwiched between contact portions arranged opposite to each other in the female terminal fitting. The first gold plating layer is characterized in that it is formed on at least two surfaces of the tab portion that are sandwiched by the contact portion.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a leading portion of the tab portion is formed with a guiding portion that guides the connection with the female terminal fitting in a tapered shape. The second gold plating layer is characterized in that it is formed over the entire length region from the front end of the first gold plating layer to the tip of the guide portion.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a guide portion is formed at the tip of the tab portion to guide the connection with the female terminal fitting in a tapered shape. The second gold plating layer is formed so as to include at least a length region near the first plating layer in a region from the front end of the first gold plating layer to the rear end of the guide portion. A length region from the front end of the gold plating layer to the guiding portion is characterized in that the base is exposed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the one according to the first or second aspect, a guide portion is formed at a tip of the tab portion so as to guide the connection with the female terminal fitting in a tapered shape. The first gold plating layer is formed over a full length region including the contact region and reaching the rear end of the guide portion, and the guide portion is characterized in that the base is exposed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first gold plating layer is formed in the contact area of the tab portion with the female terminal fitting, and the second portion having a thickness smaller than that of the first gold plating layer is formed on the tip end side. Since the base is exposed without forming the gold plating layer or not at all, the amount of gold used can be reduced as compared with the conventional case, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal fitting can be reduced.

  According to the invention of claim 2, even if the first gold plating layer is formed, it can be limited to only two surfaces involved in contact with the female terminal fitting. The amount is further reduced.

  According to the third to fifth aspects of the present invention, since the gold plating layer is formed also from the rear end of the guide portion to the contact area so as to cover the base, for example, the base is connected with the connection of the male and female terminals. It is possible to avoid a situation in which the particles are scraped and the fine particles enter between the male and female contacts.

Sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the connection state of a male and female terminal metal fitting Explanatory drawing of the tab part of the male terminal metal fitting which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. Similarly, a graph showing the positional relationship between the thickness of the gold plating layer and the tab Explanatory drawing of the tab part of the male terminal metal fitting concerning Embodiment 2. Explanatory drawing of the tab part of the male terminal metal fitting which concerns on Embodiment 3. Explanatory drawing of the tab part of the male terminal metal fitting which concerns on Embodiment 4. Explanatory drawing of the tab part of the male terminal metal fitting which concerns on Embodiment 5.

<Embodiment 1>
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the male and female connector housings (the male housing is not shown) are fitted and the male and female terminal fittings F and M are properly connected. A plurality of cavities 2 for accommodating the female terminal fittings F are formed in the female housing 1, and a lance 3 for preventing the female terminal fittings F from being detached is formed in each of the cavities 2.

  The female terminal fitting F is formed with a box portion 4 having a rectangular tube shape at the front end. The surface of the box portion 4 facing the lance 3 has a double wall structure, and a locking projection 5 is formed near the front end of the outer wall surface so that it can be locked to the tip of the lance 3. . The inner wall surface is knocked out inwardly to form a trapezoidal contact portion 6. The trapezoidal contact portion 6 has a horizontal plane 7 that is formed wider than the tab portion 11 and extends in the insertion direction of the male terminal fitting M, and the front and rear thereof are continuous with the surrounding surfaces with gentle inclined surfaces 8a and 8b. Yes. On the other hand, on the inner side of the box part 4, the surface facing the base contact part 6 in the height direction is turned inward from the front end edge of the box part 4 to form an elastic tongue piece 9 extending in a cantilevered manner rearward. . The elastic tongue piece 9 can be bent in a direction away from the base contact portion 6, and a hemispherical contact portion 10 is formed at an intermediate position in the length direction and at a substantially central position in the width direction. Yes. The hemispherical contact portion 10 is formed by being knocked outward in a hemispherical shape, and the apex thereof is arranged substantially in the center in the front-rear direction of the trapezoidal contact portion 6. When the male and female terminal fittings F and M are fitted at a normal depth, the tab portion 11 of the male terminal fitting M is formed between the horizontal surface 7 of the base contact portion 6 and the hemispherical contact portion 10 between the elastic tongue piece 9. It is clamped with spring force. More specifically, the hemispherical contact portion 10 is in contact with the opposing surface of the tab portion 11 in a substantially pointed state by the apex portion, and the trapezoidal contact portion 6 is the total length of the horizontal plane 7 with respect to the opposing surface of the tab portion 11. The contact is almost in the surface contact state over the range.

  The predetermined region including the hemispherical contact portion 10 and the peripheral predetermined region including the trapezoidal contact portion 6 in the elastic tongue piece 9 are each subjected to gold plating having a predetermined film thickness (for example, 0.4 μm). ing. Here, as the gold plating, for example, alloy plating to which a small amount of Co, Ni or the like is added is suitable, but pure gold plating is not excluded.

  The male terminal fitting M has a tab portion 11 formed on one end side, and a press-fit portion connected to the printed circuit board side (not shown) is formed on the other end side (printed by soldering instead of press-fit). The specification for connecting to the circuit on the board or the specification for connecting to the electric wire instead of connecting to the circuit on the printed board may be used. In this embodiment, the tab portion 11 has a substantially square cross section. A guiding portion 12 for guiding insertion of the female terminal fitting F into the box portion 4 is formed at the tip of the tab portion 11. The guiding portion 12 is formed so as to be tapered in both the thickness direction and the width direction.

  By the way, the male terminal fitting M, like the female terminal fitting F, is formed using, for example, a copper alloy as a base material, and a base layer made of Ni plating is formed on the surface of the base material over the entire area with a substantially uniform film thickness. ing. As described below, the tab portion 11 is plated with gold over a predetermined range. A well-known spraying method or the like is suitable for the gold plating process.

As described above, the tab portion 11 substantially touches the entire length range of the horizontal surface 7 of the base contact portion 6. In the present embodiment, a first gold plating layer 13 having a predetermined film thickness (for example, 0.4 μm) is laminated on the surface of the Ni plating layer on the side of the tab portion 11 that contacts the trapezoidal contact portion 6. Yes. The front-rear range where the first gold plating layer 13 is applied is a cavity around the front-rear length range of the horizontal plane 7 in contact with the horizontal plane 7 of the table-like contact portion 6 (range of dimension A shown in FIGS. 1 and 3). A range to which variation in the insertion depth of the male terminal fitting in the front and rear (both D dimension) is added (hereinafter this range is referred to as a contact area L. The front and rear dimensions of the contact area L are also referred to as “effective contact allowance”. The length L of the contact region L is set to L = A + 2D). The first gold plating layer 13 is formed not only on the surface facing the trapezoidal contact portion 6 but also on the surface contacting the hemispherical contact portion 10 over the same range.
In addition, the width direction both side surfaces of the portion corresponding to the contact region L in the tab portion 11 (both side surfaces at positions orthogonal to the surface sandwiched between the trapezoidal contact portion 6 and the hemispherical contact portion 10) The gold plating process in the state is not performed. That is, the Ni base layer may be exposed, or may be applied to such an extent that the wraparound to the side surface that occurs when the first gold plating layer 13 is sprayed onto the two surfaces described above is allowed.

  Further, in the tab portion 11, the second gold plating layer 14 having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first gold plating layer 13 in the range from the front end position of the contact region L to the tip of the guide portion 12. Are formed (regions illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2). As shown in FIG. 3, the thickness of the second gold plating layer 14 is gradually reduced from the boundary with the first gold plating layer 13 to the tip of the guiding portion 12 (in this embodiment, the film thickness is the largest). The thickness is about 0.2 μm at the thin part.) Formation of such a plating layer with a varying film thickness is possible by, for example, appropriately adjusting the distance between the mask (not shown) and the tab portion 11 with respect to the formation region of the second gold plating layer 14 during the plating process. It is.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the third gold plating layer 15 having a thickness smaller than that of the first gold plating layer 13 is also formed on the rear side (rear side in the insertion direction) of the contact area L of the tab portion 11. ing. As shown in FIG. 3, the range before and after the third gold plating layer 15 is formed is shorter than the range before and after the first and second gold plating layers 13 and 14, and the film thickness gradually decreases as going backward. I have to do it.

  The first embodiment is configured as described above. In the first embodiment, only the region (contact region L) where the tab portion 11 should ensure electrical continuity with the female terminal fitting F is formed with the first gold plating layer 13 having the same film thickness as the conventional one. To maintain durability. However, since the front part from the contact region L is not a region directly involved in conduction with the female terminal fitting F, the second gold plating layer 14 having a gradually reduced film thickness is formed. As a result, the amount of gold used can be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal fitting can be reduced. In addition, the second gold plating layer 14 is intentionally formed in a region that is not directly involved in electrical continuity so as to cover the base layer formed by Ni plating, so that Ni powder bites between the terminals when the male and female terminal fittings are connected. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the electrical conductivity is impaired.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 4 shows Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the second gold plating layer 14 is formed over the entire range from the first gold plating layer 13 to the tip of the guiding portion 12, but in this embodiment, the guiding portion is formed. Reference numeral 12 denotes a point in which the second gold plating layer 14 is not formed and the Ni plating base layer is exposed.

  When the male and female terminal fittings are normally fitted in a posture along the axis without taking an inclined posture, the guiding portion 12 is not in contact with the female terminal fitting, and therefore the same portion is subjected to gold plating. It is not to be.

If comprised in this way, since gold | metal plating is not carried out to the guidance | induction part 12, the usage-amount of gold | metal | money can be reduced compared with Embodiment 1. FIG.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

<Embodiment 3>
FIG. 5 shows Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The difference from the second embodiment is that the region where the second gold plating layer 14 is not applied is not limited to the guiding portion 12, but a midway position from this rear end to the front end of the first gold plating layer 13 (almost the first half portion 16. ).

  According to such a configuration, the amount of gold used can be further reduced as compared with the second embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment.

<Embodiment 4>
FIG. 6 shows Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the range in which the gold plating layer is formed in the tab portion 11 is limited to the contact region L, that is, the first gold plating layer 13 only, and the base layer made of Ni plating is exposed in front of this area. It is. Further, in the drawing, a form in which the third gold plating layer 15 is not formed behind the contact region L is shown. Other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment.

  According to the configuration of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to further reduce the amount of gold used as compared with the third embodiment.

<Embodiment 5>
FIG. 7 shows Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the first gold plating layer 13 is expanded to a region extending from the front end of the contact region L to the front end of the guide portion 12, and the Ni underlayer is exposed in the entire guide portion 12. . Therefore, this embodiment also does not include the second gold plating layer 14 and the third gold plating layer 15.

  Also according to the fifth embodiment, since only the guiding portion 12 is not formed with the gold plating layer, the amount of gold used can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the first embodiment, the first gold plating layer 13 is not formed in the normal state on the two surfaces of the contact region L that are not sandwiched between the female contact portions 6 and 10. It is not forbidden to form in the state.
(2) In the first embodiment, the thickness of the second gold plating layer 14 is continuously thinned at a constant rate until reaching the tip of the guiding portion 12, but it is thinned discretely in multiple stages. May be.
(3) In the first to third embodiments, the third gold plating layer 15 is formed behind the contact region L, but may be omitted.
(4) In the first embodiment, the tab portion 11 is sandwiched between the base contact portion 6 and the hemispherical contact portion 10 of the female terminal fitting F. However, the shape of the contact portion on the female terminal fitting F side is never It is not the thing which should be limited, In that case, both contact parts may have a spring property.
(5) In any of the embodiments, the Ni plating base layer is formed on the surface of the base material. However, other plating layers may be used, and the base material itself may be used as the base without forming the plating layer. It is possible to do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Tab part 12 ... Guidance part 13 ... 1st gold plating layer 14 ... 2nd gold plating layer F ... Female terminal metal fitting M ... Male terminal metal fitting

Claims (5)

A tab portion is formed on one end side, and a predetermined length region located away from the tip in the tab portion is a male terminal fitting that is a contact region with the female terminal fitting,
Is a first gold plating layer formed on the surface of the contact area, and whether a second gold plating layer thinner than the first gold plating layer is formed in the front part of the tab portion from the contact area? Alternatively, the male terminal fitting is characterized in that the base is exposed without forming the second gold plating layer. The tab portion is formed in a substantially rectangular cross section,
The contact area is sandwiched between contact portions disposed opposite to each other in the female terminal metal fitting, and the first gold plating layer is formed on at least two surfaces of the tab portion on the side sandwiched by the contact portion. The male terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the male terminal fitting is formed. A leading portion of the tab portion is tapered to guide the connection with the female terminal fitting, and the second gold plating layer extends from the front end of the first gold plating layer to the leading end of the guiding portion. The male terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the male terminal fitting is formed over a full length region up to. A leading portion of the tab portion is tapered to guide connection with the female terminal fitting, and the second gold plating layer extends from the front end of the first gold plating layer to the rear end of the guiding portion. Is formed including at least the length region closer to the first plating layer, and the length region from the front end of the second gold plating layer to the guide portion is exposed to the base. The male terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the male terminal fitting is provided. A leading portion of the tab portion is tapered to guide the connection with the female terminal fitting, and the first gold plating layer reaches the rear end of the guiding portion while including the contact area. 3. The male terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is exposed in the guiding portion.

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